Pacers vs. Celtics: Post-Game Grades for Boston

Post-Game Grades for Celtics in Loss to Pacers

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The Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers squared off in Indianapolis on Tuesday night in their final matchup of the season. Heading into the night, the Celtics had won three of their last five, while Indiana had dropped four games in a row. Although the Cs put up a good fight, the Pacers were able to get the 94-83 win to end their skid thanks to some epic fourth-quarter heroics. The loss dropped Boston to 22-42 on the season.

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo

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Point Guard: Rajon Rondo

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Rondo had his moments, but was clearly flustered by the Pacers' air-tight defense. He had another horrifically-inefficient game, going a paltry 4-of-15 from the field for just eight points, and had two turnovers with his eight assists. A definite positive was his smart defense; Rondo drew multiple charges and forced Frank Vogel to relegate Paul George to the bench after the forward picked up three fouls in the first half alone.

Grade: C+

Shooting Guard: Jerryd Bayless

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Shooting Guard: Jerryd Bayless

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Jerryd Bayless was awful tonight -- there's no other way to put it. He started off the game with an erratic pass that turned into a turnover, from, there everything went south. He connected on just one of his six shot attempts, and coughed up the ball twice in 21 minutes. Bayless' inconsistencies make him better suited for a bench role, and upon Avery Bradley's return, he is likely to head back to the pine.

Grade: D

Small Forward: Jeff Green

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Small Forward: Jeff Green

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After a slow, two-point first half, Green ramped it up in the second. He looked considerably more aggressive in the final 24 minutes of the game and used his speed and strength to attack the rim relentlessly. He struggled to finish against Indiana's bruising frontcourt, but got to the line three times and converted on all six of his attempts there. He ended with 12 points on 3-of-16 shooting, continuing his trend of inefficiency.

Grade: C+

Power Forward: Brandon Bass

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Power Forward: Brandon Bass

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Brandon Bass may have scored 11 points, but he was virtually invisible in his 23 minutes of action. At just 6-foot-8, he hardly stood a chance against the likes of David West, Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert. His drives to the rim drew contact, and he was rewarded with six free throws. However, his jump shot wasn't dropping tonight. He shot just 3-of-8 from the field.

Grade: B-

Center: Kris Humphries

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Center: Kris Humphries

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Hump continued his stretch of good games in his 17th start of the season, scoring 15 points on 60 percent shooting. He only played 26 minutes, but made the most of his time on the court, particularly on the offensive glass. He did a great job of establishing position, especially in the beginning of the game. He was responsible for four of Boston's 20 offensive rebounds. He finished with nine total rebounds.

Grade: A-

Bench

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Bench

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Kelly Olynyk wasn't able to keep up his hot streak against the towering Pacers big men, but the Celtics' bench was better than expected. Jared Sullinger and Chris Johnson were the standouts, chipping in 17 and 14 points respectively, the latter a career-high. Chris Babb played some solid defense and Phil Pressey dropped two dimes in only seven minutes of action. Overall, the second unit was very impressive.